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Commercial

Airbus unveils new livery on second A350-1000 test aircraft
The second Airbus A350-1000 flight test aircraft—the first to be equipped with a full passenger cabin—was displayed Sept. 23 in a new carbon fiber-themed livery outside the manufacturer’s paint shop in Toulouse, France. According to Airbus, the livery is inspired by the advanced composites technology incorporated in over 50% of the A350 XWB airframe.
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Russia certifies two GTF engines
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee’s Aviation Register (IAC AR) has certified Pratt & Whitney’s PW1400G and PW1100G geared turbofan (GTF) engines, enabling the engines to be flown by Russian airlines.
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Airlines

Air Canada to launch Montreal-Shanghai 787 flights in 2017
Air Canada will start daily Montreal Trudeau (YUL)-Shanghai Pudong (PVG) Boeing 787-8 flights from Feb. 16, 2017. The nonstop service will be Air Canada’s first 787 flight from Montreal. Air Canada currently operates flights to PVG from Toronto and Vancouver.
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EasyJet eyes stake in TUIfly
UK low-cost carrier (LCC) easyJet is close to taking a stake in Germany-based TUIfly so it can secure traffic rights within Europe even after the UK leaves the European Union (EU), Germany’s Manager Magazin reported. A TUIfly spokesperson declined to comment on the report. According to Bloomberg, TUIfly parent TUI Group is denying discussions with easyJet.
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Lufthansa Pilots’ Union Rejects Latest Offer
Lufthansa pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit has rejected the airline’s latest offer on pay and pensions. VC said it had rejected the offer Lufthansa made on Wednesday to try to restart talks that were abandoned at the end of last week.
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Piedmont Airlines boosts pilot pay
American Airlines' regional carrier Piedmont Airlines is joining PSA Airlines and Envoy Air in increasing starting pay for pilots to $58,800 a year. All three carriers operate short-haul flights for American.
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QantasLink Fokker evacuated over fumes at Perth
A QantasLink Fokker 100 was evacuated at Perth airport after fumes were discovered inside the cabin, as it was taxiing towards the terminal. The aircraft (VH-NHY) was operating the Newman-Perth route as flight QF1623, with 97 passengers and five crew. The aircraft landed at 11.36 local time with no immediate reports of injuries or aircraft damage.
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Sichuan Airlines to acquire four leased A350 XWBs
China’s Sichuan Airlines is expected to introduce four leased Airbus A350-900s to facilitate its international expansion. According to an agreement with lessors AerCap and Air Lease Corp. (ALC), Sichuan Airlines will lease three A350-900s from AerCap and one A350-900 from ALC.
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Singapore Airlines begins service to Canberra and Wellington
Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched a direct 4X-weekly nonstop service from Singapore to Canberra, Australia, Sept. 20. The flights are the first-ever regular international schedules to the Australian capital city. The “Capital Express” flight—using Boeing 777-200 aircraft in a 266-seat, two-class configuration (38 business and 228 economy class)—continues on a triangular route from Changi to Canberra, then to Wellington, New Zealand, before returning to Singapore via Canberra.
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Southwest pilots to vote on tentative labor agreement
Pilots at Southwest Airlines will vote on a tentative labor contract later this year. "We value our pilots and the role they play in our success," said Alan Kasher, vice president of flight operations. "The tentative agreement acknowledges their contributions, so I'm pleased that they will have an opportunity to vote on it."
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Thai confirms A350 tyre damage after Phuket incident
Thai Airways discovered damage to four right-hand tyres on the Airbus A350 which suffered a landing incident at Phuket. The carrier says that the four tyres were “unable to be used” for the return flight to Bangkok following the 21 September incident involving flight TG221.
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Volotea to step up fleet rollover plans
Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea plans to increase the pace of its re-fleeting plans, which include switching from Boeing 717s to Airbus A319s in 2017, as it moves toward an all-European fleet over the next few years. The airline, which specializes in linking secondary and tertiary European cities, said it had taken four A319s on strength this year, but anticipated acquiring a further six in 2017. By the end of next year, its fleet will consist of 18 717s and 10 A319s.
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WestJet, Hainan Airlines to codeshare
Calgary-based WestJet Airlines plans to codeshare with Haikou, China-based Hainan Airlines, building on an existing interline agreement between the two airlines since 2013, WestJet said. Hainan will market codeshared flights to and from Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Prince George, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. Codeshare sales will be offered through Hainan and its global distribution network, the company said.
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Airports

FAA to provide $25 million for Michigan airports
The Federal Aviation Administration will give more than $25 million to improve Michigan airport runways, including $20,654,150 to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and $5 million to Oakland County International Airport.
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Military

Fire damages F-35A during Mountain Home deployment
A fire erupted in the aft end of a Lockheed Martin F-35A during the engine start sequence on 23 September in Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, forcing the pilot to escape, the US Air Force says. The fire was “extinguished quickly”, but the USAF has not described the extent of the damage. Four servicemen — the pilot and three maintainers — were treated at a hospital as a precaution and were released, the USAF says.
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Four JSTARS grounded for inspection
Almost a quarter of the US Air Force’s of E-8C JSTARS aircraft has been grounded for inspection after a water leak caused $2.5 million in damages to the type's ground surveillance radar. Four of the USAF’s 17 JSTARS recently delivered from depot maintenance at Northrop’s facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana are under investigation for possible flight safety issues at Robins Air Force Base, Louisiana, the USAF says. The service is assembling an independent review team to inspect and and validate quality assurance processes at Northrop’s depot, a USAF spokeswoman said.
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Aviation Quote

Men were going to die in the air as they had for centuries on the ground and on the seas, by killing each other. The conquest of the air was truly accomplished.

- René Chambe, Au Temps des Carabines, 1955.

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Trivia

General Trivia

1. What is the most likely cause of an accident resulting from a climbing downwind turn (in a strong, steady-state wind) near the ground and shortly after takeoff?
a. The pilot failed to account for the increased stall speed unique to turning downwind.
b. An airplane tends to overbank more during a downwind turn than an upwind turn.
c. During a downwind turn, the headwind becomes a tailwind that causes a loss of airspeed.
d. The pilot reacts to a sense of increasing groundspeed.

2. With respect to encountering an increasing-tailwind type of wind shear, which of the following do/does not belong?
a. Airplane tends to sink.
b. Groundspeed increases.
c. Indicated airspeed increases.
d. Pitch attitude decreases.

3. True or false; Everything else being equal, a given airliner operated more efficiently when passengers were allowed to smoke en route than after 1988 when the smoking ban took effect.

4. True or false; As its name implies, an aircraft or automotive alternator produces alternating current (AC).

5. True or false; Upward-folding wing tips are an available option for purchasers of the Boeing 777. This enables the aircraft to fit in relatively small parking spaces.

6. True or false; A pilot preflighting an airplane notices that each rivet head has a circular indentation. This is caused by the device that drives the rivet.